Trapped in the Cold
by Melodious Nocturne Stalker
Summary: On Roxas' first day at school, he finds himself placed with the oddest person he's ever met-- five hours a day! And if that wasn't enough, a blizzard traps them in the school! What will become of them? AU: AkuRoku, SoRiku, Zemyx M: Language, Violence
1. The First Day

**Why, hello, everyone! Your dear author here, bringing you her second fanfiction! I promise I'll (try to) keep this going faster than Jinxed… But, I can honestly say I have a damn good amount of amusingly awesome ideas. **

**This fanfiction is going under the pairing of Axel/Roxas, though it also contains Zexion/Demyx and Sora/Riku. There won't be anything graphic, I apologize…**

**This is supposed to be an amusing fanfiction. Not crack, but amusing. I'll try to keep with that, and I don't think I'll have any troubles… Tell me if I'm playing any characters too far off.**

**DISCLAIMER: The characters in this fic are property of Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura-sensei gets the credit for them, not me! This disclaimer will stand throughout the entire fan fiction.**

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**A note to anyone who may know me: OH MY GOD IT'S AN AU HIGH SCHOOL FIC. What has the world come to?!**

** 3 You all.**

**Anna (Melodious Nocturne Stalker)**

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_For the love of god, just let this day be over…_

He couldn't think of a single person that adored school. Sure, some people would rather be there than at home, thanks to some family 'issues', but it wasn't what Roxas had in mind as his idea of fun. Fun would be sitting at home, listening to music, playing games, or hanging out with some of his friends. However, the winter break had ended, and here he was going off to school once again.

But, this wasn't going to be a normal term…

Roxas was used to seeing a few new faces in school after the long break, and feeling a little emptier without the few that would move away. He was not, however, used to being the new kid in school, used to being that familiar face that people would miss…

His family had moved away from his town, having gone to a much larger school. It was three stories, and looked like it would be hell to navigate. He wondered why someone would build a school that big and have the hallways as confusing as they were…

Roxas kept his face pointed down at the map in his hands, trying to find his class… He heard the giggles coming from the girls in the halls—they must have either thought him to look like an idiot, or to be cute… He didn't hope for either one—he wasn't interested in them.

Not that he was interested in anyone else…

After a while of searching for the designated area in which he was supposed to stay for first period, he managed to locate the classroom. He walked inside the door hesitantly, to be greeted by a rather pretty woman. Her long brown hair was pulled back, bangs hanging to either side of her face. She wore a pink outfit, looking rather professional in it. She approached him, and reached out her hand. "You're Roxas, am I right? My name is Ms. Gainsborough." Her voice was calm, almost soothing. Roxas figured he could look forward to the beginnings of his days if they started out with such a kind person.

He took her hand, not bothering to look around as his classmates stared at him. Someone moved to walk up behind him, but Ms. Gainsborough didn't even look at him, as if there was something she could see in her peripheral vision that allowed her to know who it was. Roxas smiled a bit in polite response. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Gainsborough."

"Just have a seat anywhere, Roxas. The new semester means a new seating arrangement anyhow!" She chimed, releasing him and finally looking up at the boy behind him.

Roxas turned around to face the class, only to be met by a black T-shirt covering someone's torso. The only thing he could tell about the person was that they really needed to eat something. The first thing that came to mind was that the boy could fit his hands around this person's sides without trouble at all.

However, when he looked up, eyes a bit wide with surprise, he noticed why Ms. Gainsborough hadn't looked at him. That color of hair could be noticed a mile away; such a vibrant red color, reminding him of something out of a videogame. And, what were those marks under his eyes; tattoos, or makeup, maybe? Then he noticed the eyes underneath those marks… Roxas found himself locking gazes with the most vibrant set of emerald green eyes he'd ever seen. The boy seemed equally lost in his own eyes, staring straight into them.

Without Roxas knowing, the boy was absorbed in those deep ocean eyes… He couldn't help it—however, he could hide it. He smiled, reaching a hand out to the boy to pat his shoulder a bit. "You're the new kid? Roxas, is it?" Roxas blink, shaking his head a bit before answering. What had he been staring at, and how long had he been zoning out?!

"Ah—um… Yeah…" He glanced to the side at the hand on his shoulder, noticing how warm his hands were—it was… abnormal. The heat matched the style of the boy's hair—a display of wildfire appearance.

The redhead nodded, retracting his hand. Roxas rubbed the quickly cooling place it had been, concentrating on it until the voice spoke up again. "I'm Axel." Several kids were smirking and giggling at the boys. Roxas could only wonder why.

Roxas glanced at them, and then looked back up at Axel. He nodded in response, only being able to smile a little bit. He was too nervous, felt to awkward at this new place. Axel seemed to sense this, so he spoke up, leaning in a bit. "You're pretty cute, y'know… The girls are gonna hassle you to no end… I might, too, if I feel like it."

…_Wait, what?!_

Roxas flushed a deep red, and several students burst out laughing. The blonde brushed past Axel, knocking him to the side a bit. He quickly took a seat in the back of the room, near the window, setting his book bag on top of the desk and hiding his face behind it. How… embarrassing!

Ms. Gainsborough crossed her arms. "Axel! Don't tease him, or I'll have you stay after class!"

Axel's hands went up into the air defensively. "Alright, alright! Sorry, teach."

The bell rang, and all the students flocked to their preferred seats. Ms. Gainsborough lifted her hands into the air as they all chatted and giggled, several pointing at either Axel or Roxas. "Class! Let's calm down and get started, shall we?" The students calmed down a bit, and class resumed.

The majority of the hour was an introduction to the course—it was a history class—and the last ten minutes or so were left to the students to chat comfortably amongst themselves. A boy who had sat himself next to Roxas turned to face him, smiling and reaching his hand out immediately. "Hi!" He chimed.

Roxas glanced at him, turning to face him shortly afterward. The boy's hair was brown, spiked oddly, and Roxas immediately noticed that his eyes were much like his own… He smirked, since the embarrassment had died down several minutes before. The boy continued. "My name's Sora. Who are you?"

Roxas reached out and took his hand, shaking it a bit. "Roxas," He replied simply. The boy nodded in understanding, quickly switching from calm and kind to freaking out and excited when he looked out the window. He pointed, the finger jabbing just by Roxas' face.

"Snow!!" He shouted, causing Roxas to flinch and blink a few times before he turned his head. Sure enough, the frozen flakes were falling in cascades from the sky, quickly covering the ground a floor below. Sora jumped up out of his seat, vaulting over his desk. He jumped Roxas' and grabbed the window sill, grinning at the falling snow. He laughed a bit, almost childishly excited. Roxas couldn't help but smile at him. As nice as Sora was, he was a bit… odd, wasn't he?

Axel eyed the two as Roxas moved to walk over to the window, glancing out over everything that was beginning to be dusted white. He had taken a seat on the opposite side of the room, and had barely taken his eyes off the boy. As if finally feeling the gaze burning holes in his head, Roxas turned to look at Axel.

He stared for a minute, until Axel winked at him. He flushed, and turned back to the window, Sora laughing a bit at him. "Oh, don't let him get you all worked up. Axel's been known for doing stuff like that since the seventh grade. But, I'd never seen him hesitated like he did when he saw you…" He said, still watching the snow.

Roxas looked puzzled, not speaking very loudly. "Uh… Wait. What? Hesitate…?"

Sora nodded, smirking. "You were too wrapped up in gawking at him—you two just stood there and stared at each other for a while before Axel said anything. That's why people were laughing at first. Seeing Axel in any sort of disarray is a rare sight, and it's usually pretty funny."

Roxas flushed, hardly able to believe that he was really staring at him that long… Is that why he hadn't noticed…? Axel was staring, too…

Just then, the bell rang, and the children gathered up their things and left. After getting the general direction he was supposed to go in from Sora, Roxas made it to his second class; Music Theory.

He took his seat in one of the black chairs that were lined up in rows, each one having a little half-desktop attached to it that folded behind. He unfolded it, and leaned against it, laying his head in his arms. He was one of the first to enter the room, but soon the students started filing in.

The bell rang—the seats on either side of Roxas were empty. Boy, did he feel loved… Just as Roxas was about to sit back up, a student burst into the room, running through the doors. His hair looked like some sort of cross… between a Mohawk and a bad Mullet. He didn't know how to describe it perfectly… The boy huffed, his bag dropping to the floor. He held onto it with one hand, and dragged it over to a seat next to Roxas.

"You're late!" The teacher called, crossing his arms. "You know better, Demyx. You've been in this class all year long! No excuses, you're tardy."

All Roxas could think of as he heard the boy whine in his frustration was that this teacher was a hard-ass… Well, he couldn't help it. There was always at least one…

Demyx rubbed his forehead, and took out a folder. He almost immediately opened it and pulled out what looked like staff paper, music written all over it. He flipped through until he found the most recently worked-on page, and started writing things down. The teacher told them it was basically going to be a free period the first few days, so they may as well just get to know each other. Maybe he wasn't such a hard-ass after all…

After about a half-hour of Roxas sleeping, he sat up and rubbed his eyes a bit to rid himself of the blur. Demyx had just been putting his composition work away. He sat back in his chair, tilting his head back and staring up at the ceiling. "Geez, day one of the second semester and I already have a tardy… Two more and it's a detention for me…"

Roxas glanced to the side, blinking. "What kept you from getting here…?"

Demyx looked over at him without turning his head. "… Schedule-Change Traffic. Everyone who has a new class this semester has issues figuring out where to go… It's a pain to get through all the people… Not to mention I'm all the way across the building first hour this year…" He sighed.

Roxas looked down, trying to wonder what it would be like for him… He was one of those people who didn't know where the hell he was going…

Demyx spoke up again. "Hey. What's your name? Don't think I've seen you here before—not that it's hard to find a new face around here… Student body's pretty big."

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm Roxas…" He said, letting his hand fall and hit the half-desk. He glanced up at the clock—ten minutes left. He then looked out the window. Snow was still falling, in fact, it had increased… The ground was already covered—this was going to be one heck of a storm, wasn't it?

Roxas spent the rest of the hour conversing with the musician; He'd found out that Demyx had his fair share of instrument practice. When the bell rang, he got directions over to his next class and ran there—it was all the way across the building.

When he reached it, the bell was ringing. He quickly grabbed a seat just as the bell finished—he was safe.

Almost.

In his panic to find a seat, he had failed to notice where he was sitting. He glanced to the side and nearly yelled in surprise. His face flushed completely, he pointed with a shaking finger at the form that was Axel.

The redhead grinned at him. "Hey there." His tone was sly and flirtatious. Damn, he had to deal with this kid _twice_ in one day?! Axel reached his hand out, making a 'hand it over' motion. "Gimme your schedule. I gotta check this out." Roxas grumbled, and handed it to him.

Axel scanned over it for a moment, smiling bigger and bigger the more he read.

"Well! If I hadn't deliberately gotten out of that Music Theory to get away from that annoying punk, Demyx, we'd be together _all day long._ Should I walk you to our next classes, _baby?_" He jested. Roxas looked horrified.

He snatched his schedule away from Axel, and as the redhead pulled out his own, took it, too. He looked at the desperately, hoping to all gods that he was joking—but he wasn't… Second hour, out of six, was the only one he had away from the redhead. "… Fuck," He said in disbelief. There was a laugh behind him. He jumped and turned to see Sora was there.

"You've got a mouth on you… Whose schedules are those..?" He asked, taking them both right out of the blonde's hands. He looked over them, and blinked. A sudden terror was struck across his face. "Dear… Dear god… Oh dear god, Roxas! I'm so sorry!" He said, about to drop the schedules back near their respective owners when a hand snatched them right up.

What were these things, tamales? And who was looking at them now?!

A silver-haired boy was glancing at them, exchanging glares now and then with Axel and eyeing Roxas—gaining more glares from the redhead. He gave the schedules back to Roxas and Axel, shaking his head. "Poor sap. First day, and you're already cursed. How absolutely horrible for you." The boy's tone was very apathetic.

Sora pouted at him. "Riku, be nice to him! He's new, so don't give him a hard time when you didn't even introduce yourself."

Riku shrugged. "What? You just said my name, and I read his on the schedule. No introductions needed."

Sora put his hands on his hips. "Why aren't you friendly?"

"I'm not because you and Kairi are more than friendly enough for me to have to be nice to anyone. If I weren't mean, the world might explode."

Axel scoffed. "If you were nicer, people might like you."

Riku's head snapped toward him. He glared intensely at him. "What was that?!"

Axel raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he were scum. "You heard me… Your sour attitude's like a black hole around people like Sora. You just suck all the happy out."

Riku reached over to grab him, pulling him up a bit. The teacher wasn't watching them... "I dare you to say something stupid like that again, you ass."

"You're just a stupid jock, why should I care what you think you can do to me?"

Riku lifted him up, out of his seat. Axel jumped the desk and jerked away, standing a few feet from him. They both started to go at one another. Roxas acted on impulse, as did Sora, the both of them getting in the way. Each one of them got a punch, Roxas getting his lip split and Sora getting his shoulder practically rendered useless. Both boys stood their ground, back to back, facing their respective idiot.

… When had Axel become Roxas'?

Axel stared at Roxas in utter disbelief. Riku immediately grabbed Sora by the uninjured arm and pulled him away. As soon as they were over ten feet away, Axel grabbed Roxas' shoulder, grabbing his chin with the other hand—it was a gentle grip, which surprised the boy. "What the hell is wrong with you? You got yourself hurt trying to stop us?!"

Roxas jerked away from him. "I've never been one to let people get into fights…" He retorted, voice quiet. He sat back down, holding a finger over his lip. Axel looked down, and walked out of the room. The teacher called after him, then looked to Roxas and figured out what had happened. Or, at least, gathered as much as he could from the fact that Riku was thoroughly inspecting his best friend's shoulder

He walked to Roxas, checking him out. "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Roxas shook his head. "I just need a tissue… I'll be fine. Shouldn't you be worried about Axel walking out?"

The teacher smirked. "I've had him a few times before… It's best not to even bother. He won't cause any more trouble. He just walks to his hideout and mopes for a while. He'll be back in class tomorrow—and we weren't going to do anything today, anyway. Are you sure you don't need the nurse?"

Roxas closed his eyes. "I'm fine…"

The teacher nodded. "Don't know what you could have done… He never gets that upset over someone he's just met… Assuming that you _have_ just met." Roxas nodded to him. The teacher rose and walked away, moving to grab the tissues and set them on his desk.

Sora walked to him, Riku following closely behind. He patted his shoulder, crouching next to his desk and leaning against it. "Are you okay?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Roxas nodded to him, pressing a tissue to his lip—the second one. The first tissue was blood-soaked already from initial clean-up. "I'm sorry… I didn't want you to get into that… What were you thinking, Roxas?"

"Same thing you were, Sora…" He said calmly. "I didn't want them to fight…"

Sora rubbed the back of his neck, and Riku spoke up. "Hey. I'm sorry for that… If I hadn't blown up at him, he wouldn't have hit you…"

Roxas shook his head. "No, it's fine… He was the one who messed with you first."

Riku sighed. "I really am sorry about your schedule, by the way… I wouldn't wish that on _anyone_… Let alone you."

The teacher called Sora over, and the boy walked over, rubbing his shoulder tenderly. Riku sighed in relief—had he been waiting for that? His voice was quieter now. "… You really should stick around Sora, you know… He's a great kid—and you remind me of him… Just, less hyperactive. It's like… you have the same head on your shoulders, but a different heart in your chest…" He said, before stalking off over to Sora.

The remainder of the hour, Roxas spent thinking. When there were around ten minutes left, a siren was heard in the distance. Roxas looked to the side—he couldn't see out the window. There was too much snow falling… That siren… It was a warning of something.

A blizzard.

Students started rushing out, many of them ringing up parents on cell phones for rides home. Within minutes, the blurred shapes of cars could be seen pulling up. By the time Roxas could start moving much of anywhere, the entire third floor was empty. All but himself, Sora, and Riku, as far as he could tell.

But… Where was Axel?

Roxas suddenly started running, Sora reaching out to call out after him. The blond wasn't paying attention. Was he still there? Was he stuck on the third floor with them? … Why did he care? He dashed down all the hallways, looking in each classroom, each bathroom—even the girls'—to try to find him. Finally, he found him asleep in the corner of an art room on the opposite end of the floor.

Roxas approached the sleeping redhead cautiously, almost not wanting to wake him in the angelic state he was in. However, they were in danger. He reached out, about to touch his shoulder when Axel jerked awake and grabbed his wrist. He stared at him, wide-eyed. "What… What are you doing here? How did you find me—what do you want?!"

Roxas sounded slightly hurt, actually flinching at the harshness of his voice. "… We have to get out… There's a blizzard outside—the entire building's nearly vacated." Axel stared at him, somewhat in disbelief.

"… You know there's a chance you won't get out because you went looking for me… And you still haven't run yet? You came to find me? What kind of a person are you?"

"I just don't want to leave anyone behind… and I knew you weren't around…"

It was about this time that Sora and Riku caught up to the pair, Sora bursting through the room. "Come on!! We're about to get left behind in here! Axel, get up, let's go!" He grabbed Roxas' arm and pulled it, yanking it toward the door.

As he was being pulled, he reached out and grabbed Axel's arm, pulling him up with him and dragging him out. Axel looked almost reluctant to follow him, but he didn't complain. After all, the kid was risking his chance at getting out just making sure he himself made it.

The floor below them was empty when they reached it, and Roxas felt his heart skip a beat in fear. Had they already been left?! It took them another minute or so to get to the doors—they found no one there… Only about five feet of snow with a small path in the middle—quickly filling—greeted them.

Roxas stared at the door. "… No… Dammit! No, how did we get left already?!" He released Axel, and broke free of Sora. His feet carried him right through the door and into the path that was already to his shins. He trudged through the pathway without any of his things—including his coat. He was only in his T-shirt and pants… As he reached the drive where the cars would have been, he was greeted by a wall increasing in thickness. He could see the top of a car, but no one was visible through the thin layer of glass that could still be seen. Within a few moments, the car was covered completely.

The snow was to his knees now.

Roxas turned around, trying to make his way back to the door. He heard a slight rumble, and two voices calling for him—was one of them Axel? He recognized the other as Sora, and tried to call out back to them. The rumbling cut him off, and he looked up just in time to see the snow above him—nearly six feet now—cave in over the path. He yelped, and immediately the door swung open. The last thing Roxas could recall was feeling an intense heat burning around his hand as it reached up for help, before everything went black…

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**Yay for fanfic number 2!!**

**Well now. This got… long. So. How did everyone enjoy the story thus far? Do you want to know what happens to the snow-covered Roxas? Do you wanna find out what it was that was so warm around his hand? Do you want to know why I put in the ZexionDemyx pairing when Zexion never showed up and Demyx wasn't with them when they got trapped? Don't say it out loud!! Review! xD**

**I had a lot of fun writing this, so I'll update if I get reviews. ;D**

**Much Love for my readers, **

**Melodious Nocturne Stalker.**


	2. The First Floor

**Sorry for my retardedness. xD But, I have people who actually love this thing. That makes me happy. EVEN WITHOUT THE REVIEWS… People I've had read it tell me "MOAR PLZZZZ" So, here's more.**

**Disclaimer still stands. This fic is rated M for Riku vs. Axel conflict, which includes violence and language.**

**Remember to review, people! It makes my day to know that people like what I'm writing. o**

**EDIT: Thank you to everyone who DID Review!!! I love you all!**

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He didn't know if he was alive, or if he'd died out there in the snow… All Roxas knew was that he could feel only one thing: Cold.

He was aware, just barely, that he was breathing, and he was more than aware of the heartbeat that kept him going. How could he miss that insanely loud pounding in his head? Why did life have to course through his veins so loudly? Why did he have to be so cold? Why did he have to feel the warmth at his back and around his chest? Why did Axel keep calling out to him…?

… Wait a minute.

Roxas' eyes opened slowly, the blackness he hadn't been aware of before being ruined by shreds of light illuminated the floors and walls—and the bright red hair of the boy staring down at him. There were those marks, and the emerald eyes they underlined…

He suddenly started to sit up, but stopped himself when he realized that it was Axel that was creating that warmth at his back, and his arms were what were wrapped so snugly around him. The blond flushed a bit, not noticing his reactions in his dazed and confused state.

Axel reached a hand up as Roxas relaxed against him again, brushing a bit of snow off of his shoulders. "Tha--… Good. You're not dead." His voice sounded somewhat void of emotions, but it was easy for the awakening Roxas to tell that his face was very pale. He looked up. Sora and Riku were there, as well… and Sora was on the skidding halt to his side with three bottles in his arms. He set them all down, and reached up to brush all the rest of the white dust off of him. He picked up one of the bottles and set it against his cheek—it was warm.

"Are you okay?!" The brunette asked frantically, pressing the bottle to the side of his neck.

Roxas made a sound—that felt really nice… "… Nnn… I don't… know… The hell happened, Sora…?"

"You were an idiot," Riku answered for him, taking a drink from the bottle he had. Axel took one of the remaining two and held it in his hand—it was warm against Roxas' stomach.

Now he remembered… They were snowed in at school. He'd gone outside to check if anyone was still there, and… He'd gotten buried underneath all the snow. Sora spoke up. "Axel wasn't the brightest either, running out to dig you out like that…" He glared at the redhead, who didn't respond. "Though… If he hadn't beaten me to it, I probably would've done the same."

Roxas tilted his head back and looked up at Axel, who smirked at him. Had he the energy, he would've done more than just blush and stare—he'd have gotten up and moved to the other side of the hall. So, it had been his hand… that was that warmth he'd felt before blacking out?

He lifted up his hand, grabbing the bottle at his neck and opening it. He took a drink—just hot water, but it was perfect for him. He felt himself warming from the inside out, and he soon felt well enough to move from the warmth of Axel's arms. He did so, and stood up. He found himself to be lightheaded and dizzy—and apparently tipping over backwards. Sora jumped up to his feet and reached out to grab his arm, pulling him upright.

"Hey, watch it…" Roxas made a bit of a noise, his head spinning. "You shouldn't try to move too much… You blacked out, that doesn't mean you're perfectly OK. That means sit down, and try to recuperate." The brunette pulled him over to the wall, sitting him down and taking a seat against the wall next to him.

Sora looked to the side, noticing Axel was glaring… at Riku. And Riku was returning the look. He made a face, wondering how the hell they could possibly be acting like that at a time like this. They could barely see out the windows at this point—they were practically screwed, and they were definitely stuck.

Roxas groaned. "What the hell's wrong with this school system, damnit… Shouldn't they have checked to see if any students were still in the building?! What if we're not the only ones!?"

Just then, footsteps could be heard. Riku and Axel both snapped their heads toward the corner at which a rather… dark-looking boy rounded to see the people who'd been making such a ruckus. Everyone stared at the blue-haired boy, Roxas concentrating on the eye the hair wasn't covering.

Soon, though, their view was disrupted as the boy was tackled to the ground. Everyone—other than Axel—jumped. The redhead just stared at the scene for a moment, and then sighed as if he were agitated. "… Demyx, what are you doing here, and why, dare I ask, did you just try to kill Zexion?"

The blond stood up, pulling Zexion up with him, who immediately jerked his arm away and rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of blush on his face. Riku raised a hand in greeting, and Zexion returned it, walking away from Demyx, who pouted a bit before he responded to Axel. "Well, my car's buried, and I got excited to see someone I knew!"

Axel scoffed. "More like someone you—" He quickly gained a sharp kick to the side by a certain blue-haired boy.

"Not another word, you pyromaniac douche," Zexion hissed. Riku snickered, trying to suppress his laughter. Axel flipped him off, using the hand that wasn't clutching his pained side. Riku returned the gesture.

Sora sighed, almost in perfect time with Roxas' shaking his head. The two looked at one another, smiling and letting out a small laugh. At that, Riku seemed to lose his edge; he smiled. Sora caught this, clapping his hand over his mouth and pointing. "Oh god—Riku! What was that?! It was like… Your face contorted… to look genuinely _happy!!_ Is the world ending!? Oh god, I wish Kairi were here to see that!"

Riku flushed brightly, his face falling as he looked away. "I'm _human_, Sora. I smile once in a while, you know…" He tried to cover up his mistake. Well, it was a mistake to him—he always tried to act cool and collected, emotionless to an extent. However, he was nowhere near as good as Zexion when it came to that.

Speaking of whom, the boy walked down the middle of the group to lean against the wall—away from Demyx. The blond pouted, but sat down next to Axel. "So… How did you guys get stuck? And why does Roxas look sort of… bluish?" Axel's head snapped to the side; Roxas was huddled up against the wall, shivering a bit in his cold state. The hot water bottle was next to him.

The redhead sighed, picking up the bottle and hitting the younger blond over the head with it. "Idiot, you're supposed to use this to keep warm," He said. Roxas looked up, then over at Axel confusedly. He then eyes the bottle, and reached up to take it from him. He muttered a soft 'thank you' before he took a drink and put the bottle on his legs, huddling around it. Axel continued to stare at him, wondering if he was always like that. He seemed pretty… off. And there was something else about him. A… light, of sorts… It was hard to place exactly what it was about him that made him glow like he did, but Axel knew one thing: He wasn't glowing as strongly as he had been in class.

Demyx sighed. "… Okay. Again, how did you guys get stuck?" He repeated himself, as no one had answered.

Sora answered, since Riku seemed to be spacing out a bit. "… We were gonna get out on time, but a certain someone decided that Axel was worth running after. So, we followed him, and by the time we got out, it was too late. Then the same certain idiot got buried in the snow." His sarcastic tone got him pushed over to the side by Roxas, who didn't even look up as he shoved the brunette.

Sora tilted over, smirking at him as he leaned back up to a sitting position. "Oh, come on. I'm just joking…"

Demyx rolled a bit, laying out flat in the hall. "… And you, Zexy?"

"Stop calling me that."

"… But, it's cute!"

"Shut up."

"…. Answer me and I will."

"… Fine," The boy sighed, rubbing his temple. "I was in the library, didn't hear the siren, and then people kept shoving me around until I was forced back into a wall. When I tried to move, someone pushed me and I hit my head on the wall and blanked out. Woke up a few halls away, and now I'm stuck. Happy, idiot?"

Demyx smiled in response. "Sure." Zexion sighed, muttering something about 'hyperactive idiots' and 'too clingy'. The musician was quiet for a bit, aiding the awkward silence that hung over the group. However, he decided to be the one to break it. "… I'm not used to the halls being this empty…"

Axel eyed him. "Sure you are. You're always late, there's never anyone in the halls when you get here." Sora smiled, which kept Riku from saying something that would start yet another fight.

"Oh, shut up," Demyx whined, leaning up and glaring at him. "It's still always noisy… Cause the teachers never close their doors. This place is void of life right now…"

Sora pouted. "You say that as if we're dead."

Riku glanced at him, then at Axel. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, one of us could be, and no one would care."

Axel shot a glare at him, taking his attention off of the motionless Roxas for a moment. "Hey. You don't know me; don't automatically assume that everyone hates me."

"I've yet to find someone who thinks you're worth more than… Oh, let's say nothing."

Axel jolted to move forward, but his arm was caught. Roxas had lifted his head enough to see him, shaded face seeming to intensify the glow of his bright blue eyes. He said nothing as he held on tightly to Axel's forearm, just staring at him as if his eyes alone would stop him.

And, they did.

Axel hesitantly pulled his arm out of Roxas' grasp, standing up. He glared at Riku as he walked away, giving one last look to Roxas before he turned the corner and disappeared.

Roxas unfolded, letting his legs unbend and leaning back against the wall. He sighed, one hand on his stomach, the other hanging at his side. His eyes closed after a moment, knowing that no one was going to go after Axel. However, he could tell. He could tell that every time he walked away from something, it wasn't to be alone. It was a selection process… He was trying to find that one person who had the guts to follow him and the ability to worry about him. Not pity—worry.

When he looked forward again, all eyes were on him. It was as if he'd voiced his thoughts, and they were all expecting him to be the one to follow. He hung his head, and stood up, letting the bottle hit the ground. He bent over and grabbed the warm water, swaying a bit as he stood, but moved before Sora could reach out and grab him. "Feh… Fine, I'll go. Just stop lookin' at me like that…" He muttered, still half in a daze. He was cold, tired, and his head hurt like a bitch; perfect condition for comforting someone.

As he stalked off, Sora stood up. He walked toward Riku, and leaned against the wall next to him. He glanced to the side, watching the older teenager look right back at him. He was so used to being close to him; it didn't matter that if he leaned to one side, even just a bit, he'd brush against him. The brunette tried to stare at him with a straight face, but couldn't help the bursting smile as he could feel their thoughts connecting and Riku understood what he was trying to do. He also noticed that the poor thing was failing, and rather miserably at that.

However, through that poorly-done battle, Riku himself couldn't help the fact that he had to cover his face with his hand, making his eyes look as if he were ashamed to know the boy. This always worked in keeping him from knowing that he couldn't keep a straight face any better than Sora could when he was smiling at him.

He raised his free hand to drop it on Sora's head, ruffling his hair a bit as if to rub it in that he was shorter. The boy pouted, and Riku thanked god his hand was there to hide the faint blush on his cheeks.

-----------------

Just a little ways away, Roxas walked the halls of the school, trying to remember exactly which way that room that Axel had been in was. His things were in that classroom, so he didn't have his map, and so he found himself trying so hard just to find the stairwell. And, in his state, it was like trying to climb a mountain backwards…

The blond stopped in one hallway, looking left and right to see if anyone was there—of course, no one. After a while, the boy became frustrated, coming out of his dazed state and hitting one of the lockers. He growled, muttering a curse under his breath before he tossed his head back. "Axel, where the hell are you?!" He hissed, simmering in his agitation as he closed his eyes, head tilting back down and staring at the ground. Dear god, what a horrible day…

His attention was caught by a hand that randomly made its temporary home atop his head. He fingers twined into his hair, gripping just a bit and tilting his head back slightly roughly. Roxas made a slight 'ouch' noise, eyes looking up and meeting a pair of very dulled-down emeralds. Then came that smooth voice. "What do you want?" The voice was contradicted by such a rough tone.

"Do I need a reason to follow you?" Roxas asked, his head being released from the hold. He turned around to face him, running his fingers through his hair to fix it before his hands were stuffed in his pockets.

"I should hope, or do you stalk for fun?"

"I don't stalk at all."

"Then, yes, you need a reason for following me, if not to justify that you are, in fact, not stalking me." The sarcastic logic made Roxas cringe. Of course someone like him would be in tune with his wits.

"… Fine. I was _worried,_ is that so hard to believe?"

"You don't even know me… Why would you be worried?"

"… I'm not allowed to want the person who saved my life to be… to be okay?" Roxas paused, looking down at the floor. What had he just stopped himself from saying?

When the blonde looked up, he saw that Axel's eyes had… lighted up, a bit. He looked sort of surprised that anyone cared. He turned his back to him, Roxas catching a bit of redness on his ear. Was he blushing? "… R-right… I guess that's fine. But, you know I just saved you to repay _my_ debt, right?" He turned around when his cheeks were no longer red.

Roxas tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brows together. "… What debt?"

"The one I got when you jumped in the middle of the fight earlier… You kept me out of so much trouble…"

Roxas looked down. He hadn't thought it was such a big deal… Sora had done the same thing. "… I-I'm not the only one who jumped in the way…"

"And that's why Riku's in even more debt now. His bill with Sora's so damned high he could climb it for days and reach the moon." Roxas laughed a bit, but then calmed down when he saw how Axel was looking at him.

He cleared his throat. "… Uhm… How many times have you two…?"

"A lot; too many to remember," Axel replied, sighing. "That's become a once-a-week thing for us… I guess we're under even more stress than usual today…"

"I don't blame you… It's… not the best day," Roxas said, looking out the nearest window—or at least the few inches that could be seen out the top. Gray clouds were blackening into the night…

Was anyone looking for them?

The blonde walked over to the window and put his hand to it… it felt cold, but not very considering his own current body temperature. He was just barely warm enough for the color to come back to his skin. Axel followed him after a moment, and stood next to him for a moment before he reached over and grabbed his arm gently. "… You're still frozen…"

Roxas glanced over at him—the touch felt good, but it was so hot that it almost burned… "And you feel like you're on fire…"

"Always do," Axel grinned, looking out the window. "Sorry for making your first day so horrible… What a way to welcome you into town…"

"It's winter. It can't be helped, can it? It was my fault for sticking around when I should have left, anyway…" Roxas stared out the window. "I just didn't… want to leave you behind."

Axel smiled, then reached over and gently cupped his jaw in his hand. He turned him toward him completely, and Roxas let his hand fall from the glass. Axel spoke up after a minute of examination. "… I… hit you pretty hard, didn't I?" The area was bruised and reddened, and dried blood was visible just inside of his nose.

Roxas tilted backwards a bit, but stopped himself. The warmth felt so good… "It's nothing… I'm fine… It doesn't hurt."

"That's because you're still an ice cube. The cold numbs the pain." The hand slipped down to the side of his neck, and Roxas flinched a bit before he found himself leaning into the touch. Axel leaned against the window with his other hand, resting his forearm against it and smiling at the boy's reaction. Roxas didn't even seem to notice…

Until he heard a cracking noise.

Both of them turned to look at the glass of the window. A spider-web pattern in the glass was forming from the spot where Axel was touching it. The immense heat contradicting the freezing cold glass had caused a reaction—and the glass was shattering right in front of them with the force of a 10-foot-and-counting snow wall behind it.

Roxas reached up and quickly grabbed the hand on his neck—the contradicting temperature made Axel snap back into reality just in time to realize that he was being dragged away from the window. The glass gave way, allowing the snow to pour into the hall. As a chain reaction, the next four windows down busted as well, filling half the hallway with snow. Roxas was running, pulling Axel along with him as he frantically tried to make his way back to the others.

Knowing that Roxas didn't know where the hell to go, Axel let his long legs take control, getting ahead of Roxas and pulling him down the right hallways. When they reached everyone, they stopped, and Roxas worked on catching his breath for the brief moment he had while Axel spoke.

"Upstairs. _Now._"

Sora looked at him, and Riku turned to face him. Zexion stepped toward the middle of the hall, and Demyx got up and walked over to him. The brunette was the only one who spoke. "What's going on…?"

Just then, the wave of cold hit the group. Sora shuddered, and Riku jumped a bit. Demyx grabbed Zexion's shoulder, and the boy looked at him, then glanced at Axel. "What happened?"

"The windows busted a few halls away. This entire floor'll be a freezer in a few minutes—we've gotta get upsairs and shut the doors to all the stairwells. There are three stair wells—we'll split up, and meet in the second floor's lobby. Zexion, Demyx, you take the main stairwell at the South end of the building. Riku, Sora, Northeastern corner of the building. Roxas, you follow me." He started to move when Riku stopped him.

"Hey… Why're you giving us the closer stairwells…? Knowing you, you'd be all over the chance at getting to safety first."

Axel pulled away from him and started to lead Roxas away. "The windows busting was an accident that I caused. I'll take responsibility for it…" The two of them left the others with astonished looks on their faces, and Roxas looked confusedly at them before they turned out of sight.

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**Yeah… Chapter two, end! How long will they last in a place like that? Especially since help can't get them through the front doors!**

**FIND OUT NEXT TIME. :D**

**Review! O**

**Melodious Nocturne Stalker**


	3. The First Realization

**Oh, wow… I'm impressed! Statistics stand…**

**Fic: Jinxed. Chapters: 6. Reviews: 5. **

**Fic: Trapped in the Cold. Chapters: 2. Reviews: 10 (at the time checked).**

**Something tells me I have something good on my hands Thank you all so much for your reviews and encouragements! For my second fic, I guess it isn't bad after all. So, I'd like to introduce the third chapter with a bit of warning that the relationships are gonna get closer and the situation can only get worse from here!**

**Or should that be better?**

… **Should. Anyway, have fun reading and I hope you like the work! (P.S.: If sadder stuff doesn't bother you, check out Jinxed sometime. :3 If someone cares, I'll update that.)**

**EDIT: I love you all. Thank you so much for the reviews and the favorites and alerts… I'm **_**so sorry**_** this took so long to get out, but I left my External Hard drive at my dad's house, and didn't get to get it back for two months. ;; BUT, now that it's back, I'll keep winter going in our minds until this story is done! And I promise to try to make it be done **_**before**_** the next time winter actually does roll around.**

**Well. Uh, the statistics are changed now that two months have gone by… But, still. Jinxed only has 6 reviews. xD; That story fails… Anyhow, enjoy the third chapter that I've been very, very excited to get to finish!**

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_Chink… Thunk!_

"… Alright… Door's shut. Let's head over to the Second Floor Lobby and meet up with the others…"

"Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"… Sorry."

The silver-haired boy looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at his friend analytically. "What for?"

"Getting us stuck here…" Sora responded sheepishly and quietly, looking down at his shuffling feet as they walked to avoid the sea-green gaze.

Riku paused in his steps, lifting a hand and putting it heavily down onto Sora's head, stopping the brunette. He was silent for a moment, and then he sighed. "Don't blame yourself for that… I'd have been more worried if you _hadn't_ chased after the kid." He said no more after that, knowing exactly what words he could use but not wanting to risk them…

Sora smiled a bit, looking up at him. Without much thought, he grabbed the hand off the top of his head and started walking again, pulling Riku along with him. He didn't say anything, but Riku knew what he meant by doing what he had. Perhaps he should have said those things he'd thought about…

At last, the two came to the lobby. It was an open area lined with windows and padded benches, four large double-doors being the entrance to the main stairwell. Immediately within coming into the line of sight of Zexion and Demyx, who were seated next to one another seemingly to Zexion's disdain, Sora released Riku's hand. The quiet boy seemed to catch them for a split second, but he hid his thoughts with a stone-faced look.

Sora openly walked into the middle of the spacious area. He glanced around expectantly, frowning a bit.

"… Where're Roxas and Axel…?"

--

"It's… cold," Roxas stated, pointing out the obvious not to annoy his new companion, but rather to prove the point that it was affecting him. Deep sapphire eyes bore into Axel, trying to get his reaction as they walked neared the staircase. The redhead tried his best to ignore him at first, but as soon as they'd made it up the stairs and had the door locked, he reached out and grabbed Roxas' arm. He pulled him close, hugging him tightly.

Roxas was stunned, eyes wide at the suddenness of the embrace. When he gained his bearings, he pulled away from it, and Axel smirked down at the blushing boy. A warm hand hovered above his cheek for a moment, then touched it a bit. Roxas' cheeks flared up, and he flinched away. "What—what the hell was that about!?"

"You're warmer now, aren't you?" The redhead responded in a sly tone, walking past Roxas to leave him dumbfounded. On his way by, he grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him along. "Come on, you'll get lost if you don't follow me."

The blonde complied, and stumbled after him to be led toward the lobby. He was silent, the lingering bits of blush on his cheeks flaring up with each memory of the day. He could swear that he'd never been physically closer to anyone in his entire life than he had been to Axel in the last few hours…

And it was all because of this storm.

Axel's voice came softly, and Roxas could feel eyes on him. "You know… You couldn't have picked a better time to come to a new school…"

"Gee, thanks…" Roxas said bitterly.

"No problem," Axel smirked, just trying to irk him a bit.

It seemed to work enough. "… I was being _sarcastic,_ you idiot…"

"I know" The redhead was silent, as was Roxas as they moved through the hallways and neared the lobby. Halfway down the last hall before turning into view, Axel spoke up again. "… Huh. I really don't know which one of us to call lucky…"

Those words caused the shorter boy to stop, eyes widening a bit before he gained a look of contemplation. What did he mean by that…? Roxas had plenty to feel lucky for—his life had been saved, and he'd already made new friends. By the time he looked back up, Axel was rounding the corner, and the blond had to run after him. When he turned the corner, he was greeted by the entire little happy group they'd formed. They were the last to arrive…

Sora perked up a bit and moved quickly passed Axel to get to him. "Roxas! You alright?"

Roxas paused as he was thoroughly inspected. "… Uh, yeah, I'm alright… What about you guys?" He asked, trying to sound a little friendly. There was no harm in being nice to the people that were going to help you survive in a life-or-death emergency.

Zexion was silent, as he knew that Demyx would speak for the both of them. He shrugged. "Eh, I could be better. I'm sure we'd all just like to get outta here, though…"

Riku nodded toward him, and Sora smiled at Roxas. "I'm fine… You're the one who's taken the beating around here so far."

Roxas smiled half-heartedly, and Riku followed up. "I don't think anybody's injured or anything…" He glanced around—no negative responses.

At this time, Axel walked over to sit on a bench, laying back and getting comfortable. "I suggest we all just chill out for a while… Maybe someone's coming to find us? I mean, most of us have parents that care… Right?"

Demyx sighed. "Mom's gonna freak, actually… I shoulda been home by now, I mean… She'll have the FBI looking for us soon, knowing her…"

Zexion didn't say anything, not wanting to share his personal life, but Riku spoke up. "Dad's gonna be pissed that I got stuck…"

"My parents are probably getting the police out here now…" Sora said, looking at Axel.

Roxas shrugged. "Mine are definitely calling everyone they can get a hold of to get me out."

"That's good," Sora responded, moving over to sit down on the bench nearest the one Axel was sprawled out on. Riku followed after him and took a seat next to him. Roxas, feeling odd being the only one standing, moved to sit on the bench across the room—away from Axel.

For a while, everyone was silent. Each was lost in his own thoughts, about how they were going to get out… and for one or two of them, who this evening was going to bring them closer to.

It took a long time for someone to break the silence, and everyone was surprised to find that it was Zexion doing so. "… We need food…" He said suddenly, throwing Axel and Sora off guard. Everyone gave one another silent glances, and Roxas could feel the unsettling sensation in the air. Yes, they'd be needing food… But, there was a problem…

The cafeteria was on the first floor.

Everyone in the room knew this, and so they just stayed quiet while they waited for someone to actually say it out loud. Demyx answered their silent pleas.

"… Who's going?"

"You are, now," Axel replied with a grin. Demyx' face fell, and he stared at the redhead in disbelief.

Zexion raised a hand halfway into the air. "… I'll go," Everyone looked at him while he stood and moved over to the door. He unlocked it, and then glanced back as he heard movement. Demyx was following.

"I'm coming, too… Strength in numbers, right?" He said with a rather dumb, friendly grin on his face. Zexion rolled his eyes, and as he turned around, Riku was able to smirk at the fact that he caught a little bit of blush on the usually emotionless face.

The shorter boy opened the door and slipped out, leaving Demyx to catch it and open it enough to get himself out. Before shutting the door, he glanced back. "We'll be back soon with some things to eat. We'll knock on the door when we're back, so go ahead and lock it." When Sora had nodded to him, he left. Riku quickly locked the door, and left the two of them to fend for themselves.

--

Zexion wasted no time in practically gliding down the stairs in a fluid, smooth movement. Demyx had to nearly trip down the steps to keep up with him. The second they hit the floor, it was no better. Short legs or not, Zexion moved silently and quickly through the halls that led to the cafeteria. They came to a large, open area, and immediately found themselves immersed in the cold that should have been outside this area. Zexion looked around as Demyx caught up, and soon the sandy-haired teen was also searching for the cause of this.

Zexion was the one to find it, and pointed suddenly toward the opposite end of the cafeteria, where the wall was made of windows that looked outside to the patio. The snow should have been covering the light coming from them, but it was obvious the cause of the light that streamed through. A few of the windows were broken here, too.

Demyx gasped. "Sh-shit… Come on, Zexion, let's get our stuff and _go,_" he demanded, grabbing him by the wrist and jogging over to the snack bar. He hoped the counter that they'd forgotten to pull the metal down over and kicked the door to the back storage room open. It was filled with bottles of water and sports drinks, packages of chips, candy bars, and a cooler filled with ice cream snacks.

Zexion huffed. "Huh… This is healthy…" He muttered, Demyx moving to grab as much of the food, save for the ice cream, as he could fit in his arms. He mumbled something incoherent as he found himself stuck. He couldn't really move, or everything would fall. And so, he dropped everything on the ground, and started putting things up underneath his hooded jacket so that he could carry everything without too much of a problem. He pulled the hood off of the top of his head where it rested, and put a few snacks inside of it before he grabbed the draw strings at the bottom of his coat and pulled. The bottom edge went tight around his body, and he tied it uncomfortably tight to keep the food inside.

Meanwhile, his companion walked through another side door into the back room where everything was cooked. He searched around, moved things a little bit here and there, and found nothing of great interest or use to them until he managed to get a hold of a box of matches. Perhaps they were there because of a faulty oven that needed to be match-lit because of some defection. It didn't really matter, because they could use them.

As he started to move some other things around just to make sure, a loud crashing noise and a deep, heavy rumbling caught his attention in the worst possible way—he was startled to the point of jerking his hands up into the air a bit, and the papers he'd been moving aside went everywhere. A few of them hid themselves behind appliances, but the boy didn't really care. What had that noise been? What had just happened?

… Was Demyx okay?

He ran to the room to check on him, make sure he was alright. The boy was no longer in the store room, and when Zexion ran out, he found him crouching down on the counter and staring at what had just happened. Every single window that had been left had cracked, broken, and now half of the cafeteria was flooded with snow. Tables were knocked over and covered; one of the vending machines was tipped over slightly. Zexion stared, mouth open in shock at what was in front of him. It had been a mini avalanche, and more snow was still piling in.

This time, it was his turn to react. He jumped over the counter, grabbing Demyx' arm as he did so, and took off running. "Come on, _now!_ We have to get out of here."

The blond stared at him, a bit surprised, but followed him anyhow. Once they were out of the cafeteria, they shut the doors and locked them. Demyx sighed, panting from the adrenaline rush he was recovering from. Zexion waited for a moment, hands against the door, and then he pushed away and started walking. Demyx chased after him. "Hey, wait…"

"Why?" Zexion said, louder than he usually spoke.

Demyx was taken aback by this. "… W-why what…?"

"Why do you always follow me? You've done it since we were in the sixth grade."

Demyx flushed a bit, and looked down. More than anything, at that point he wanted to flat-out tell him. He'd trailed after the boy for four years now, always just staying by him and never truly branching off. He had other friends, sure. He knew other kids pretty well, yeah… But he was _always_ following Zexion around, ever since the day they'd met. The day he'd moved into the area.

"… B-because… I want to."

"But what if I don't want you to?" Zexion replied without missing a beat, stopping his movements now and just staring at him as he waited for an answer. He could tell he was bothering him. He always seemed to bug Demyx when he spoke to him more than just answering him when he was addressed. He'd always hated people. Demyx had had, when he'd come to the school district, every chance to be everything. He could have been popular, could have been in sports. He could have friends who were into music like he was and start a band. But, that first day of having him around, the boy had stuck to Zexion.

"… You _do_ want it," Demyx said with a sudden confidence that was obviously a forward thing he was forcing on himself. Zexion opened his mouth to retort, but Demyx cut him off after 'How do you'. "Don't… be so surprised, Zexy." The boy glared at the musician for the use of the nickname. However, he ignored it. He had every day for the last few years. "Look, I'm not the best at socializing. People like me, but I don't necessarily like them. I don't say the most intelligent things, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I've seen other people around you. You just get up and walk away, and it puts them off."

"But I do that to you all the time, Demyx." Zexion didn't look like he was upset, more just a little exposed and slightly embarrassed. But it didn't seem to affect Demyx in a bad way. The blond merely smiled at him.

"Yeah, but you're testing me when you do it to me. Every time you get up to walk away, you turn to look at me. And if I didn't follow, I think you'd be disappointed." Demyx looked proud of himself as he smiled at Zexion, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder without his usual hesitation when it came to physical contact and the smaller boy. And for once, he didn't shy away from the touch. "With others, you get up and go, and you don't look back. But with me, you're testing to see if I still care enough to follow you and stay with you."

Zexion was silent for a long time, starting to blush just a bit. It was true, every word of it. He'd never thought Demyx truly understood, not on the surface at least. But something in that boy had compelled him to get up and chase after him every time, and it reassured him that someone was always there for him. That really was why he always turned around and looked at him… to make sure he was getting up and staying by his side. Of course, he'd never told him that… Since when was Demyx so observative…?

Finally, when he spoke, it was quiet. "… You always do." He fought back a tiny smile, and managed not to show anything but the slight blush.

Demyx flushed just a bit this time, and refrained from wrapping his arms around the boy. "And I'm always going to."

Zexion looked to the side, reluctant and yet rushed in getting out of that situation. It made him really happy, made him feel what he didn't really know how to feel. It scared him. "… We need to get back."

Demyx' smile faltered slightly, but he nodded. This time, however, he reached down and took his hand, walking with him rather than pulling him toward and up the staircase. When they reached the door, he let go, and knocked on the door, ending that tender moment he was almost surprised Zexion complied to.

It was quickly unlocked and opened by Sora, who somewhat worriedly rushed them inside and shut the door. He locked it, and whirled around to face them. His mouth opened, but before he could say what he wanted to, Axel voiced the brunette's concerns.

"What the hell happened down there?" He demanded from them, eyes showing concern but the two of them could tell it was not for them.

Demyx, expectedly, spoke for the both of them. "… The windows of the cafeteria broke. The whole room's getting filled with snow. The water damage is gonna be harsh after all of that melts…"

Roxas tilted his head. "You're not hurt, right?"

Zexion shook his head, and Axel spoke up again. "You guys get food?"

Riku glanced at him, then over at the two that had just come upstairs as Demyx undid the drawstrings and let all of the food fall out and onto the floor. The redhead immediately moved in and grabbed a few bags of chips. He tossed two of them to Roxas, who caught them and stared at them. When he looked up, Axel was already laying down on the bench again.

Demyx stared at him while he did all this swift moving around, and then he glanced at Riku with a questioning look. The older teen smirked and grabbed a bag of chips. "Don't worry 'bout it, Demyx. Axel's just a little irked about how late you guys were because Roxas said he was hungry."

A single hand came up, middle finger showing proudly amongst the others that were curled into a fist. "Shut your mouth, pretty boy."

Riku snickered as Roxas blinked and blushed at him. It had been true. He'd mentioned being hungry, and ever since Axel had been extremely impatient. According to Sora, that was rather odd for him. His patience, he'd said, was something that annoyed people to no end. He could be more persistent, and wait out his little schemes longer than anyone.

Roxas didn't understand why this guy was so bent on keeping him safe… He'd done a lot—was constantly worrying about him, always made sure his safety came first, had even go so far as to save his life and risk his own doing so. And he'd only met him that morning. What could be driving him to do things like that? Did he just interest him… that… much…?

No. No, no, no. He couldn't go there. Not in his head, not in his heart, not in his _anything._ That wasn't the cause!

… So, what was?

Roxas sighed. There was nothing he could really do about why Axel was so infatuated with him (without asking him, of course!). And so, he opened a bag of chips and began what he assumed was his dinner. However, that meal was interrupted by a loud sound and a rumble.

Everyone in the room was sure they'd just heard shattering glass.

--

**OH DEAR GOD, I FINISHED IT.**

**Yeah, y'all get another cliffhanger. I should be smacked for this. XD**

**Anyway, Reviews are loved! I'll do better next time, guys, I swear.**


	4. The First Night

… I love you guys

… **I love you guys. xD You're all amazing! Thanks for all the reviews, and… for the slaps? xD; I deserve those, for leaving you guys hanging for so long, only to end the chapter in a cliffhanger. Annnnd, y'know what? Since I'm one of those 'mean' authors that don't tend to reply to reviews… I'm going to say a few words to you guys here.**

**To those of you who hate cliffhangers: I love you, too. XD They keep ya reading.**

**To those of you who wish I'd update more: … I'll try, because you guys are so great.**

**To weilderofthe Keyblade: ilu. 'Nuff said.**

**To Kel-Vampire: FAITHFUL REVIEWER AND FAN FTW. Lots of hearts go out to you, hun.**

**ANYWHO. This chapter's gonna be good, I promise! I'm doing my best to get it to you faster, because I hate leaving you guys hangin'.**

**Disclaimer stands, warnings stand.**

**Let's get this party started!**

**--**

Each and every morning since he was ten, Axel had had a routine. He'd get up, go to restroom and fix his hair and teeth, grab a small breakfast, and walk out the door. Even in the summer, this stood strongly, the only difference being that it started a little later. He'd still leave, just go hang out or walk around town. After all, it wasn't like he enjoyed being home. Whenever people were around in that place, it never meant anything good. His dad, though rarely drunk, was violent. He smoked cigars, made an above-average living, and didn't do anything illegal other than abuse his son. His mother cared, she really did… But, whenever his father called him names or beat him, she would retreat and tend to her son whenever she got the chance after the match.

The worst part of it all? His father rarely hit him first, and if he did it wouldn't leave any marks and he couldn't get nabbed for it unless someone turned him in with proof. The man was good with words in the most horrible sense of the term, knowing how to bite at just the right places in his imperfect image. He'd make them look bigger, uglier, and he made it seem like everyone cared about that more than anything, and that they all hated him.

As much as Axel could love his mother, and understand why she, being the calm and shy and frail woman she was, would hide when his father was acting up, the redhead could never bring himself to care about his father. Usually, he did as the man said, though, to keep his mother safe from his old man's wrath. His mother was the most important person to him, and to protect her, he would go to any length. Things had always been this way. He'd never felt the need to save or protect anyone else, never thought he'd even try to help if someone else was in danger. He'd never felt like he had to guard someone so closely, be it for their own good or of his own free will.

But that was all changing now. And all it had taken was a single glance…

"Roxas… stay here." The tallest of the six got up and headed toward the direction the glass and rumble had come from. Almost immediately, he was pausing in his steps due to a cry of protest.

"Axel, wait a second!! You don't know what that was. What if it was another window?" Roxas said, and Axel couldn't tell if he should be happy or sad to see the worry in his eyes.

"You're not coming with me."

Just before Roxas could protest, another made his stand—literally. Riku brought himself upright and glided gently over to Axel's side. Sora and Demyx looked anxious at this, Zexion looked slightly interested. Roxas remembered the earlier events of the day, and suddenly he, too, felt the need to be concerned. When Riku reached Axel, they stared at each other for a long time, and with each passing moment the fear that another fight would be started over whether or not Axel should go began to rise, then, more painfully slowly, to fall again.

At this point, Riku seemed to be studying him. After a moment, he moved, his hand coming up. Everyone seemed on edge in that moment, and all doubt that he would hit him was dropped off…which was why the group seemed stunned when he clapped his hand onto Axel's shoulder and nodded in the direction of the noise. "Come on. I'll go with you. That way, there's less worrying." And with that, he started to move away, down the hallway. Axel started to turn, as if about to look back at Roxas, but he stopped halfway there, decided it was better that he didn't look for fear of what he'd find, and started after Riku.

Sora noticed this, and when he looked to Roxas, he thought it better that Axel hadn't looked. The cerulean eyes were wrought with a mix of relief, worry, confusion, and an inner understanding that the deepest part of him had yet to release to the rest of him. Sora thought that, if it had been him in Axel's place, he would have turned back to look and wouldn't have been able to move. He knew that if it were him making the face, Riku would react the same way.

The brunet found himself walking over to Roxas, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… They'll be alright. If they can take each other's punches, and have the strength to hold them back, we don't need to worry."

"But what if someone else is here? What if that was more windows breaking, what if that was the floor caving in?" Roxas seemed rather frantic inside at this point, knowing so many possibilities of horrible outcomes that it made Sora flinch.

"Roxas, calm down. You're overreacting, they won't get hurt… Trust me, they'll be alright," Sora reassured as Demyx made his way over to the two of them.

Roxas didn't seem convinced. "Aren't you worried about what they'll find?"

Sora's look turned slightly downward, and Demyx spoke up for him. "Of course he is. But he's different from you, Roxas. He's probably just as terrified as you are, but that doesn't mean he's gonna show it."

Sora stayed silent, closing his eyes and mustering the strength back up to smile at Roxas. It was one redeeming quality he had, that he could take any situation and smile the whole way through it. Many thought it to be a blessing, and no one could hide from the stare, this being apparent in the growing grin on Demyx's face. "He's… right. If Riku's gonna be strong enough to go, I'm gonna be strong enough to let him." And those words seemed to satisfy Roxas after a moment, letting him take in their surroundings again. He made a bit of a face as he looked between Demyx and Sora at the benches behind them. The musician's face fell, and Sora looked somewhat curious as to the nature of this odd look.

"Where's Zexion…?"

**--**

Riku and Axel walked in silence, headed down the halls and looking carefully into each room. Neither of them did or said anything to one another, each knowing that they would end up doing things they'd rather not if they communicated.

That is, until Axel managed to be concentrating so much on keeping quiet that he slipped and fell on an abandoned jacket. Halfway down, his arm was caught by Riku, and he managed to stop the fall and keep him up. Axel's heart was racing from that little surprise, and he waited a moment before looking at Riku and pulling his arm away. "… Thanks…" He said quietly, as if true appreciation came difficultly to him.

Riku merely shrugged. "Just try to be a little more careful, Axel. You've got more riding on this than you're admitting."

"What?" Axel snipped, eyes narrowing. Riku's calm outer shell wasn't even scratched.

"You know what." He looked at him now, and his eyes were understanding in the coldest sense of the term—at least, that's what it felt like to Axel. He _hated_ being picked apart like this.

And yet, he kept going. "Enlighten me."

"Alright." Axel was immediately regretting telling him to do this. Riku continued regardless. "Roxas, for instance, is someone who's making you act differently than anyone. I've known you most of my life. I've never liked you, but I've always paid attention to you, and you just don't give a damn about people."

"Yeah, big fuckin' news, Riku."

"But that's where it's different, Axel. It's not the same with Roxas. You act like if he so much as got a scratch on him, you'd murder whoever was responsible. And there's no point in trying to hide it. He may be oblivious to the magnitude of that, seeing as how he barely knows you, but none of the rest of us are."

Axel was steaming at this point, fists clenched at his side. He was angry, with both himself for being so obvious, and with Riku for pointing it out. It was just like with his father: Riku was pointing out his weakness, and it would tear at him until he couldn't take it anymore. He started to open his mouth, moved forward toward him slightly, but a voice that was rarely so loud cut him off.

"Hey, you two. Come over here! I found something."

The two of them whirled around; facing the hallway in the direction they'd been headed. Zexion was standing there in front of a classroom, the door cracked. Smoke rose out of it, and the smaller boy had a hand over his mouth. Riku and Axel stood, astounded by his silence and ability to sneak past like that. He'd completely ignored them, or at least acted like he had, and they hadn't even considered the possibility of him having followed them. And now, they both looked a little stupid.

They walked down the hallway quickly to his side, Riku speaking first as Axel was too angered at this point. "What are you doing here—Augh, what's that smell?" He said, his face scrunching up as he pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth. Axel did the same, not seeming to be pleased by the smell any more than the other two.

"I found our culprit," Zexion said, and he pushed the door open. The smoke from the inside cleared more quickly now, escaping to the hallways. Inside, they found one of the science labs, broken glass and chemicals all over the place. Axel finally spoke up now, a little distracted by the wreckage of the room.

"What happened?"

Zexion was quick to answer. "The chemistry classes were doing an experiment today. Something must have been off-balance and fell. It looks like the chemicals got mixed and judging from that," he pointed to a table that had been halfway eaten-through, and the blackened by some sort of fire, "I'd say there was an explosion. Hence, the vibrations we felt and why the other beakers are broken, too." The three looked on for a little bit at the damage done to the lab, surveying it and wondering what the chemicals could be doing to the table and the floors. So many bad things could come from a chemical spill and mixture of this magnitude. It was evident that it wasn't going to end well. However, there was little they could do at this point.

"We should lock this door. The gasses could be harmful to inhale," Riku stated with slight concern, and shut the door, locking it and checking twice to make sure it stayed that way. The other two watched him intently, making sure he didn't make any mistakes and endanger them.

Just before they turned to head back to the lobby, their attention was caught by movement down the hall. The other three were running to them, Demyx at the front.

"Zexion!! What the hell? You were supposed to stay with us! Why didn't you tell us you were going anywhere?" He yelped as he reached them, worry evident on his face. The shorter boy didn't say anything, blank eyes just staring up at his friend. Demyx looked shocked and worried, then calmed, then concerned, then worried again. He reached out, hesitated, and then grabbed his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Riku stood next to Sora, and Axel inspected Roxas. The redhead stepped near to him, and Roxas leaned slightly away, just barely noticeable. Axel's eyebrows knitted together… and he lifted a hand to grab his chin, turning his face as his wide oceanic eyes stared shocked and curious into the redhead's face. "What are you… doing?"

Axel looked concentrated… worried. "You... don't look so good. You okay, Roxas?" He asked as he let go of him and pulled away. "You feel kind of clammy." He reached a hand up again, but Roxas stepped back.

"I'm alright. Don't worry about it," He said hurriedly.

Axel started to reach forward again, but stopped himself. His arm dropped to his side, and he shook his head. If Roxas didn't want him to touch him, fine. He turned away, missing the slightly concerned look from the shorter blond, and looked over at Zexion and Demyx who, while he'd been occupied, had managed to start sorting things out.

"Really… I'm fine, Demyx."

"But something could have happened…"

"Nothing did. Stop freaking out about it." He stared at the teen in front of him, eyes never faltering to the hand gripping his shoulder. Demyx stared right back, and somehow they seemed to communicate.

The musician sighed. "… You're right. You're not hurt or anything and I need to stop thinking of the worst." He let go of Zexion, nodded, and pumped a fist into the air. "Right! Optimism!"

Sora laughed, Roxas found himself smiling. Axel and Riku were surprised to see that Zexion had the slightest of a smirk, and when he noticed them staring, it faded away. The two looked at one another, and found that even though they were facing each other, for once they could smile.

--

It was several hours later that doubt began to creep up on the group as they sat in the lobby. Axel lay on the bench nearest to Sora and Roxas, closer to Sora. Riku stood between the two benches, and Zexion and Demyx sat on the benches across from them. Slightly worried glances were exchanged, before Riku finally decided to voice the concerns.

"… They aren't coming… are they?"

Zexion, being the most realistic of the bunch, decided on answering in all honesty. "Probably not."

Sora looked upset. "How can you just say that?!"

"Because," he began, keeping his cool tone unlike the brunet, "Thinking about it, the storm hasn't stopped. They'll have to wait until it has before they can get through it and get to us. We're not the only people trapped. They're probably searching buildings closer to the fire station and the police station first. Not to mention if they'd been clearing a path to us, it's probably blocked off on their way back by now."

Demyx sighed, rubbing his forehead. "So much for optimism…"

Now, Sora pouted. "… I hate to admit it, but you're right," he muttered, and stood up. He walked over to a wall and leaned against it, Riku following after him.

The silver-haired teen looked down at his best friend, eyes soft—just for him. "You think we should try and get some sleep…?" He asked quietly, so that only Sora could hear.

The brunet looked up at him, wondering for a moment before he answered him. "… I… think we should. He glanced around at everyone, and spoke up soon after. "Alright… Guys? There's no reason for us to stay up. If they come, they'll wake us up. Let's get some sleep," he suggested.

This little phrase seemed to stir something in the entire group, and almost immediately everyone began to get into position to rest comfortably. Zexion moved to the floor against a wall, in a corner made by the wall and a bench. Demyx curled up on his side against the same wall, head near Zexion's leg. The slate-haired boy watched him effortlessly fall into slumber within a few seconds, and wondered idly how on earth he did it. It would be quite a while before he himself would be able to find sleep in such an…uncomfortable setting. A school was no place to sleep, after all. Sleep was done at home, in a bed where one could wrap themselves in a cocoon of blankets and feel safe from the world.

Sora slumped down to the floor, Riku alongside him. The younger of the two leaned his head against his best friend's shoulder, and sighed. He was worn out, from all the emotional turmoil and physical runaround. He felt an arm snake around his back, and glanced up at Riku, who was looking down at him. He huddled closer to him, smiling slightly as Riku's hand found its place on his shoulder. Sora had never thought about how hard it would be to sleep under conditions like this, and now he found it would probably come very easily. After all, with a pillow like Riku, the only thing missing was a bed—and Kairi—and he'd feel like he was sitting at home having another sleepover with his friends. Idly, as sleep began to flow over him, he wondered how she was doing… He could only hope that she got home safe, though he didn't doubt that she'd survive the weather even if she hadn't made it without being caught. Nothing in the world could ever begin to slow that girl down, and Sora took pride in being her friend because of that and a number of other things. He hoped she was sleeping comfortably in her bed.

Axel was already rather content on his bench, eyes closed like he was ready to fall asleep. However, an astounding hour later, he'd not even begun to drift off. He sat up, and almost immediately noticed a response in his movement. He glanced to the side, and there he found two beautiful sapphire eyes staring at him, surprised to see the redhead awake.

"Roxas…? What are you doing up…?" He asked quietly, getting off of the bench and sitting in between them next to the blond who had attempted to find a nice corner like Zexion had to curl up in.

Roxas watched him carefully, waiting until he'd sat down before answering in a voice whose quiet rivaled Zexion's. "… This is my… third night even in this town… and I'm spending it in a school. What do you think I'm doing awake?"

Axel studied him for a moment, then reached over and touched his cheek. He suddenly looked a bit worried, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, he grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to him, wrapping his arms around him. Suddenly enveloped in warmth, Roxas didn't know how to react. He was touching him again, but he was _**so cold,**_ and Axel was _**so warm**_… He looked up at him, and found those emerald eyes staring right back at him. "…. What are you…?"

Axel shook his head. "Shut up, Roxas… You're a freaking ice block."

"You don't have to—"

"I know I don't have to. Just shut up and go to sleep, alright? I don't mind."

Roxas had to wait a moment, trying to think of what he could say to further his argument. "But aren't you gonna get cold with me like this…?"

Axel scoffed. Well, that argument had failed rather miserably. "I'm _never_ cold. Trust me; this will do more good for you than it'll do bad for me. Just…"

"Shut up and go to sleep, I know…"

"Then do it."

Red in the face and only halfway reluctant, Roxas did just that. It didn't take much longer before Axel would follow.

Sitting across the room, Zexion wondered just how asleep everyone was. He knew Sora and Riku were out—the steady breathing from the both of them said so. The few minutes since quieting down had admitted Axel and Roxas to a world where it was just the two of them, sleeping peacefully in warmth. And Demyx, sleeping beside him, had been out the entire time.

At least, he'd thought so before he felt a touch to his leg. He turned his head, and found that Demyx's hand was resting there on his leg, and he'd sat up without him noticing. He stared at him, his friend now staring directly into his eyes, sitting next to him. Neither of them said anything, and Zexion didn't complain as the musician moved again, so that he was sitting on his knees in front of him, taking his hands. They stayed that way for a bit, before Zexion surprised both of them with being the first to speak.

"… You were asleep."

"I was waiting," he responded without missing a beat. He smiled that stupid grin he always wore around his friend.

Zexion glanced away. "… For what…?" He asked, hoping—no, not hoping. He would never hope for anything, because hoping only ended in hurt.

… Didn't it?

Demyx shifted, bringing himself closer to his friend and curling up against him, forehead pressed against the side of his neck. "For everyone else to be asleep… You'll be the first one to wake up, I know it."

No more would be said between them. Demyx stayed where he was, and Zexion didn't make him leave. In this hell of a place, he needed someone to be there. However, most who knew him would say that it was extremely unlikely that he'd let anyone be there, regardless. It was impossible, they'd say.

However, if this was Hell… then Hell certainly had frozen over.

--

**Alrighty, guys! No cliffhanger this time. Sorry for the delay! Did you guys like the little fluff at the end? I couldn't help but write that in there**

**But, really, thank you so much. Your reviews make this more worthwhile for me! I just love checking my stories and seeing the number of reviews steadily increase.**

**And y'know what? I owe it to you guys for helping me continue this story. I want your input, your ideas, and your constructive criticisms. I wouldn't be an author without an audience to write to, so I may as well give 'em what they want, ne?**

**So! Tell me what you think of the chapter; tell me what you wanna see. And for now… Peace out!**

**, The Melodious Nocturne Stalker!**

**(A.K.A., Anna)**


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